Rubio Grows Emotional About Trump as He Faces Prospect of Defeat

Florida Senator Marco Rubio built his presidential campaign around an optimistic vision of uplift, both for the Republican Party and the nation. But when he spoke to reporters Saturday, with polls showing him trailing in his home state and the nation’s television screens showing violence at a Donald Trump rally, he appeared deflated and despondent.
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Harry Reid calls on Alan Grayson to drop out

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Friday pressed Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) to drop his Senate bid amid scrutiny surrounding his hedge fund, according to a statement provided to The Hill. Reid challenged Grayson's progressive credentials and criticized the Florida congressman's "moral compass" based on the recent reports about his fund.
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Mike Lee backs Ron DeSantis for Senate

Sen. Mike Lee of Utah has endorsed Ron DeSantis for Senate. --"Ron DeSantis is the gold standard for constitutional conservatism in Florida and is the clear conservative choice for the U.S. Senate,” Lee said in a statement.

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Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio are far behind in their own home state

There's fresh evidence here of the unthinkable: Florida's biggest Republican stars, former governor Jeb Bush and Sen. Marco Rubio, run the risk of losing their state's winner-take-all primary next year to an out-of-state contender. --A loss in their home state could force both Bush and Rubio out of the presidential race after March 15, when Florida and three other states will hold the first winner-take-all primaries.

Read more at the Washington Post
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Sun Sentinel's snarky article: Marco Rubio should resign, not rip us off

HERE IS THE LEFT LEANING SUN SENTINEL'S ARTICLE, WITCH WAS REFERENCED IN THE CNBC REPUBLICAN DEBATE (10/28) BY MODERATORS AND JEB BUSH (UNFORTUNATELY FOR BUSH) AND HANDLED BEAUTIFULLY BY SEN. RUBIO:

Marco Rubio, who hates his job, should follow John Boehner's lead and resign. After five years in the U.S. Senate, Marco Rubio does not like his job. A long-time friend told The Washington Post "he hates it." Rubio says hate might be too strong a word, but he sure acts like he hates his job. Rubio has missed more votes than any other senator this year. His seat is regularly empty for floor votes, committee meetings and intelligence briefings. He says he's MIA from his J-O-B because he finds it frustrating and wants to be president, instead.

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Carson closing in on Trump in Florida

Donald Trump continues to lead the Republican presidential field in Florida, but is losing his edge in the key battleground state. The GOP front-runner is the first choice candidate for 21.7 percent of Republican voters in Florida, but only 6 percent of voters named him their second choice in a University of North Florida poll released Monday.

Read more at the Washington Examiner
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Judge's ruling upends Florida's political landscape

The political careers of several members of Congress — including a Republican seeking to become the next U.S. House speaker — could come to an abrupt halt under a sweeping overhaul of Florida's electoral map. --Florida Circuit Judge Terry Lewis on Friday recommended new boundaries for the state's 27 congressional districts, some of which would make it nearly impossible for U.S. Rep. Dan Webster — one of the hard-line conservatives who pushed John Boehner to resign as speaker and then turned on Boehner's No. 2, Kevin McCarthy — to win re-election from his current central Florida district.

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Poll of Florida GOP voters shows Jeb Bush, Donald Trump in close battle for Florida

A new poll of likely Florida Republican primary voters shows Donald Trump in a virtual dead heat with former Gov. Jeb Bush. U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio lagged far behind with single digits. --The poll was conducted on behalf of The Florida Times-Union, and two FOX affiliates — WTVT-TV Channel 13 in Tampa Bay and WOFL-TV Channel 5 in Orlando — by Opinion Savvy along with InsiderAdvantage, a company that is affiliated with Times-Union parent company Morris Communications.

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Walker Tells Private Group He'll Skip Florida Primary

Scott Walker has insisted he will be able to “compete anywhere in the country” as a candidate for president — but, at a private event in St. Louis on Sunday, Walker said he does not plan to compete in Florida, contradicting his own public assertions that he would not skip that primary. During a fundraiser at the St. Louis home of Rex Sinquefield, Missouri’s most active Republican donor, Walker reasoned that it “doesn't make a ton of sense for him to pour cash into Florida” with Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio in the race, said one person who was present for Walker’s remarks. Bush is a former Florida governor, and Rubio is a senator from Florida.

Read more at Real Clear Politics
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Scott Walker has insisted he will be able to “compete anywhere in the country” as a candidate for president — but, at a private event in St. Louis on Sunday, Walker said he does not plan to compete in Florida, contradicting his own public assertions that he would not skip that primary. During a fundraiser at the St. Louis home of Rex Sinquefield, Missouri’s most active Republican donor, Walker reasoned that it “doesn't make a ton of sense for him to pour cash into Florida” with Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio in the race, said one person who was present for Walker’s remarks. Bush is a former Florida governor, and Rubio is a senator from Florida.

Read more at Real Clear Politics
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Ron DeSantis, Tea Party Favorite, Becomes First Republican to Enter Senate Race

FLORIDA - Rep. Ron DeSantis has only been in elected office for two-and-a-half years, but the sophomore congressmen from Jacksonville has decided he's ready for the next step. Today, DeSantis announced his campaign for the senate seat soon to be vacated by Marco Rubio, becoming the first major Republican in the race. --Like Rubio, DeSantis is a Tea Party and conservative favorite and announced his decision with endorsement from three key groups: the Club For Growth, the Senate Conservatives Fund, and FreedomWorks, all of which are known for sticking to hardcore right-wing principals, and aren't afraid to criticize or take on mainstream Republicans who stray from them.

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Florida poll: Rollout helps Marco Rubio tie Jeb Bush in home state

Sen. Marco Rubio’s splashy presidential-campaign announcement and his subsequent media blitz has likely helped him catch up with friend and former mentor Jeb Bush in their home state of Florida, according to a new poll of 400 registered Republican voters.
Rubio garnered 31 percent support from Republicans and essentially tied Bush’s 30 percent, according to a Mason-Dixon Polling & Research survey conducted Tuesday through Thursday and shared exclusively with POLITICO. The other likely and announced presidential candidates polled in the single digits and 17 percent were undecided.

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Conservative Groups Cheer as Rep. Ron DeSantis Announces Interest in Florida Senate Run

National conservative groups may get one of their first-choice recruits this year in Florida's open Senate race, if Rep. Ron DeSantis follows through on his initial interest in replacing 2016 presidential candidate Marco Rubio.
DeSantis, a 36-year-old Iraq War veteran and founding member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, said in a statement Tuesday that he will consider running to replace Rubio next year. "As it became clear that Senator Rubio was likely to run for president, I received encouragement to consider running for the Senate," DeSantis said, adding that he and his wife "will use the next several weeks to discuss the race with our friends and supporters and will make a decision in short order."

Read more at National Journal
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